Librarians & Library Technicians: Alternative Careers
This guide will help you find the information you need to start working in British Columbia. You can use the menu buttons to move between sections of the guide.
In BC, librarians plan, organize and maintain libraries and their collections and provide programs and advisory services for users. Library technicians help users to access library resources, assist in cataloguing, help users with interlibrary loans and reference searches, as well as processing the checkout and return of books and other library materials.
Both librarians and library technicians may work in public, academic, school or special libraries.
You may find that your international training and experience as a librarian or a library technician are not immediately accepted in B.C.
The skills you have acquired as a librarian (instructional, communication, research, organizational, computer and customer service skills) can be used in these alternative careers:
- Policy researchers, consultants and program officers
- Researchers
- Post-Secondary Teaching and Research Assistants
The skills you have acquired as a library technician (attention to detail, well organized, customer service, communication, and computer skills) can be used in these alternative careers:
- Library Clerks
- Records Management and Filing Clerks
- Administrative Clerks